Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Text talk, flirting, relationships..

Claire and Rach both made interesting points about instant messaging and text messaging abbreviations becoming part of everyday conversation. I would like to expand on this idea further and suggest that these mediums have not just abbreviated the human language but have also abbreviated human relationships as well. At the age of 27 I can remember a time before mobile phones and the convenience of sending text messages andI believe that text messaging has changed the way we interact with each other. Before messaging if you wanted to ask somebody out on a date you had to pick up a phone and call them; now you can swap numbers with someone and text flirt without the nervousness that comes with actual physical conversation or human interaction. Messaging seems to have sped up the whole process, a message can be sent stating somethingthat the person may not have the courage to say. I know of friends who have swapped numbers, text flirted for awhile, engaged in text sex and then ended the whole "messaging affair"without ever actually meeting up with the person for a coffee! Additionally, I know of friends who have been in relationships that have ended because of the discovery of text messages or emails that have incriminated cheating partners. Finally messaging has made it easier to cancel obligations or stand up friends, back in the "old days" of home phone lines, if you made a date with someone you honoured it and always showed up on time because it was more difficult to get in contact to cancel. Now we can just send a quick impersonal message saying " Sry im l8 nt cuming k?".